College News

Classic Arts Duo featured in Catawba College's Tuesday 515 Music Series

The Catawba College Tuesday Music 515 performance for March 15, 2005, will feature The Classic Arts Duo – an innovative pairing of violin and classical guitar. The free, 30-minute program will begin at 5:15 p.m. in the Omwake Dearborn Chapel on campus and will include selections by such composers as Telemann and Paganini, plus several original works by Greg Pannell.

Greg Pannell’s musical background is extensive and varied, with guitar, later the piano, and finally, the violin emerging as his primary instrument. He is a graduate of the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in Violin Performance.

Pannell was a member of the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra for 12 years and is currently Principal Second Violin for the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. He played Principal Second Violin for the Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra. As an orchestra player, he has been involved in performances with many renowned artists, ranging from classical to jazz and most notably including Itzhak Perlman, Ella Fitzgerald, Glen Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bob Hope, The Manhattan Transfer, Andre Watts, and many others.

Joseph Gminder began his music career at the age of six, learning viola at Elon College. His interests soon broadened to include studies in piano, trumpet, and later, French horn. The horn became his major instrument, and earned him a music scholarship at Emmanuel College. Gminder also developed an early love for the classic guitar, and at age 12, studied the instrument at Emmanuel.

In 1982, Gminder began teaching guitar and French horn at the Salisbury Music Conservatory. He has performed with the National School Orchestra Association, the All-State Wind Ensemble, the School of the Arts in Winston Salem, and in various concerts affiliated with the Salisbury Music Conservatory.

The Tuesday Music 515 Series is sponsored by the Catawba College Department of Music. It features brief (30-minute) programs by college and area artists that are free and open to the public. The final performance of the academic year is slated for April 12 and features the Catawba Brass with a program of favorites for brass ensembles. The Catawba Brass is composed of Greg Hall and Mickey Driver, trumpets; John Olsen, horn; Steve Etters, trombone; and Brad Gulley, tuba.